Art Magazine: Banksy the masked street artist

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ISSUE 56

pg 66-71

BANKSY a street artist whose identity remains unknown

The Masked Street Artist

The Masked Street Artist

by Joshua Jennings

“His identity remains unknown...”

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Arguably the most controversial street artist in the world, Banksy has developed an entire art subculture devoted to his works. Banksy’s art can impact any location at any given moment.

His identity remains unknown, even after over 20 years of being involved with the graffiti scene.

He has worked with many different types of

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Art sourced from: Art sourced from: http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/banksy/

after, he began to partner with Inkie, another notable graffiti street artist.

By the age of 18, Banksy began to develop stencils after nearly being caught vandalizing public spaces by police. As his crew fled from the scene, Banksy was stuck hiding beneath a garbage truck. It was at this time that Banksy saw stencil letters on the truck. Looking for a faster way to paint, Banksy decided stenciling would be his new graffiti type. The most common form of street art Banksy uses are stencils. These are often in the form of multi-layered stencils and/or combined with other media sources, such as spray-paint. He also includes anything found in the streets like street signs and other objects to convey his message by crafting beautiful street art installations. His artwork is often satirical and combines dark humor with graffiti and also spread

Art sourced from: https://nypost.com/2015/10/10/where-did-all-of-banksys-nyc-art-go/

street art media and street art types.

His work not only includes many powerful, often controversial images, but they may also be found throughout the Internet as viral images.

Banksy began his graffiti art lifestyle by admiring the works of Blek Le Rat and often recycling his old ideas. He has been very active in the graffiti scene since the early 1990s. Initially, he hung around a graffiti crew in Bristol by the name of DryBreadZ crew or DBZ. Soon Banksy depicts an adult butler giving a child cans of spray paint on a silver platter

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messages across different types of art, philosophy, and politics.

The “Elephant in the room” painted by Banksy was a live elephant made to look like walpaper.

It showed how the worlds poverty issue is often ignored.

By the early 2000s, Banksy relocated to London, where he began to gain notoriety and even worked on a series of international exhibits. Eventually, he decided to travel to Palestine and the West Bank, where he stenciled nine images on the Bethlehem Wall. These images were an instant hit and virally exploded in the Internet.

Art sourced from: https://www.art.com/products/p43521576115-sa-i10179390/banksy-balloon-girl.htm

“His artwork transformed from acts of vandalism to sought-after high art pieces.”

Art sourced from: https://www.art.com/products/p43521576115-sa-i10179390/banksy-balloon-girl.htm

At this time, Banksy’s silkscreen prints and stencil paintings were racking up record-breaking sales in storied art auctions such as Sotheby’s and Bonham’s of London. These successful sales officially broke him into the commercial business. In 2010 Banksy became a successful author and filmmaker for the film “Exit Through the Gift Shop.”

Many of Banksy’s works have double-meanings such as the little girl in this work, loosing her heart shaped balloon.

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Very little is known about Banksy himself, as he refuses to be interviewed and keeps his identity carefully maintained. A world-renowned mystery man, Banksy has risen through the ranks to become one of the world’s greatest street artists partly by creating an urgency to understand his character.

Street art fanatics are consistently satisfied with every piece of art he delivers, though he often leaves them wanting more. This tactic carries one’s curiosity

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to explore a completely new perspective or idea, leaving his artistic creations to inspire beginning and advanced artists. This inspiration is also known as the “Banksy Effect.”

The media and his supporters have always questioned Banksy’s identity due to a variety of identity claims. Most recently, many popular theories, including an entire newspaper publication, pointed his identity at being a Bristol native by the name of Robin Gunninham. If this is theory holds true, it will allow even greater insight into the artistic world Banksy inhibits. What is even more interesting is

that he has managed to completely conceal his identity from his family. To this date, no Banksy identity claim has ever been definitive.

In Summer 2015, Banksy organized a temporary art project called Dismaland, a dystopian theme park built in the seaside resort town of Westonsuper-Mare, in England. Prepared in secret, the project unveiled 10 new works by Banksy and the pieces from 58 other artists.

Art sourced from: http://codeblackreport.com/posts/head-to-nyc-art-heads-banksy-is-back-in-brooklyn/

A typical work by Banksy found on the back side of a business.

This work shows the harsh demands that the government imposes on the working class

Banksy’s artwork has been seen across the world.

His travels have included Australia, England, the United States, Israel, Jamaica, and even Canada.

Most recently, he spent an entire month glamorizing New York City with his street art, which grabbed the attention of thousands every day.

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Although he was increasingly famous, Banksy remained anonymous; his rare interviews were conducted via e-mail or with responses delivered by an altered voice on tape. He remained committed to street art, declaring that life in a city in which graffiti was legal would be “like a party where everyone was invited.”

Art sourced from: https://www.amazon.com/Banksy-Dorothy-Police-Search-Graffiti/dp/B011J4CSIC

Art sourced from: http://www.designatlarge.it/are-we-all-more-selfish/?lang=en

“Keep your coins” says the sign a homeless man is depicted holding. He would rather have ‘change.’

Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz is shown speaking to a police officer. He points inside of her basket depicting that something is missing.

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“A world-renowned mystery man, Banksy has risen through the ranks to become one of the world’s greatest street artists.”

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Art sourced from: https://streetartnews.net/2015/08/banksy-creates-new-piece-in-weston.html

Resources All text sourced from the following: About Banksy Biography http://www.streetartbio.com/ banksy Banksy: British Graffiti Artist https://www.britannica.com/biog raphy/Banksy Banksy Biography https://www.biography.com/peo ple/banksy-20883111

Banksy painted elephant is illegal, officials say

https://www.theguardian.com/ uk/2006/sep/18/arts.artsnews

Art sourced from: https://www.galeriemagazine.com/banksy-unveils-new-mural-wales/

Art sourced from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_Labour_(mural)

Stalking a most prolific phantom https://www.nytimes.

com/2013/02/18/books/banksy-the- an-behind-the-wall-by-will-ellsworth- jones.html

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